All Better Now
by Sami Marie
Summary: He didn’t have to; especially on a day like today but deep down she should’ve known that he would. H/P Friendship. Written for the new set of prompts in the TV Prompt Challenge.


**Title: All Better Now**

**Prompt: ****Bewitched:**** My Boss, The Teddy Bear**

**Summary: He didn't have to; especially on a day like today but deep down she should've known that he would. H/P Friendship. Written for the new set of prompts in the TV Prompt Challenge.**

**A/N: This is a bit of a therapeutic one-shot for me because with yesterday being Father's Day I was feeling pretty down, luckily it fit in with one of the new prompts so I had more than one reason to write it. Therefore enjoy my attempt to make myself feel better and do me a favor and drop review to let me know what you thought.**

**All Better Now**

At of all of the Sundays to have some down time this wouldn't have been the one Emily Prentiss would have chosen. If she'd had her way they would be working a case so her mind wouldn't have to think about the fact that today was Father's Day and that even now five years later her daddy being gone still hurt. She missed him and holidays like this only served to remind her that she didn't have him anymore. Granted with her dad's line of work they hadn't actually spent a lot of holidays together until he'd retired a year before his death. But still at least if he was alive she wouldn't be spending the day moping around her apartment.

She wanted to call someone, to go do something but didn't really know who to call because the team of agents she worked with were the only friends and family she saw on a consistent basis. She couldn't call Morgan because when Hotch had given them Friday off he'd decided to fly home to Chicago for the weekend, Garcia was busy with Kevin, JJ had Will and Henry, and Rossi her latest confident was up at his cabin which meant he wouldn't answer his phone. That left, Hotch and well even though she couldn't be for certain she certainly hoped he was spending the day with his son.

Yep she was going to have to suffer through this miserable day by herself it looked like. At least that's what she thought until there was a knock on her door. The first one was soft, but the second the one that followed it immediately after was much harder though.

What she saw upon opening her door surprised her there stood Hotch, looking very un-Hotch like, in jeans and a Rolling Stone's t-shirt with a mini-version of himself beside him.

"Hi," the three-year-old boy greeted shyly leaning into his father's leg.

Putting on a smile she replied back, "Well hello there you must be Jack."

The little boy nodded with a grin she'd only seen from his father a handful of times before Hotch finally spoke, "Hi… I um… I know today isn't a good day for you but I figured between the two of us we might be able to cheer you up."

"Hotch, you didn't have to come," Emily said as Jack tugged on his daddy's hand.

"I know but when I told Jack here that you were going to be sad today the other night he kept insisting that we should come," Hotch offered up in explanation as he picked his son up off the ground.

"Yeah, Daddy makes everything better," Jack added once he was settled against his father.

"Does he now," Emily questioned before turning her attention away from the boy and back to his father, "I guess that's what makes him such a great daddy then, huh?"

Jack nodded enthusiastically as Hotch murmured a thank you for that remark. She knew he sometimes he doubted that very fact, if only because he got to see his son even less often, now that him and Haley were divorced.

"So what's the plan," Emily asked so she knew whether or not to invite them in or not.

"Park," Jack said and Hotch elaborated by saying, "We are going to spend the day at the park, I even packed a picnic for lunch."

"You cook," Emily questioned in awe as she turned to grab her purse and a light jacket.

"A little and not that often, but Jack helped me today," Hotch answered as she locked her door and began to walk with them out of her apartment building.

_**25 minutes later…**_

Emily remained pretty quiet during the car over, choosing just observe the interaction between Hotch and his son. It was more than obvious they adored each other and with that in mind Emily had to admit she was already feeling more cheerful than what she had before they had knocked on her door.

This softer side of him totally clashed with the unbending professional side of him she was accustomed to. However she had to admit she could get used to hearing him laugh and seeing him smile.

Not long after they'd arrived Jack had talked her into swinging beside him as his daddy pushed him and as she swung she couldn't help but voice some of her thoughts out loud, "You don't do this enough."

"What?" He questioned as Jack let out a squeal of delight.

"Smile or laugh," She elaborated.

"Yeah I know," Hotch admitted, "But he's about the only thing in my life right now that does make me laugh or smile."

Emily nodded silently vowing to make an effort from here on out to give more reasons to smile. If only to thank him for what he was doing today; the act of including her in his activities today spoke volumes of words she knew were difficult for him to say. Things like he cared about her and he would be there for her if she ever needed him again, just like he was today.

A few more swings and a few trips down the slide by Jack later the three of them settled under a tree away from everyone and as Hotch emptied the basket there food was in he came across a package that he didn't remember packing in with everything.

"Open it Daddy," Jack insisted as he watched his father.

Emily watched as Hotch did just that and could've sworn she'd seen a tear in his eyes after he torn the paper and found a fairly new framed photo of the two of them from a what looked to be a baseball game. Underneath that was a card and Emily watched him carefully pull the card out of the envelope and read it.

"Hey buddy, how about another game next month," Hotch said to his son as he showed him the two Orioles' tickets he'd found inside the card.

The child's joy and quick agreement was just too adorable for words Emily couldn't help but think as the three of them began to eat the spread Hotch had packed; PB&J for Jack and a choice of chicken, tuna or egg salad for her and him.

"I didn't know what you liked so I made all three," He explained as he asked her what she wanted.

With a smile she settled for the chicken salad and he did the same. Afterwards Jack ran back off towards the playground and the two of them moved a little closer so they could keep a better eye on him as he ran off his new found energy.

After a few minutes of just silently watching him play Emily spoke, "Happy Father's Day, Hotch."

He nodded before saying, "It feels good to have someone to say those words to again don't it?"

Emily nodded before the damn of tears she'd been holding in all day burst. Before she knew was crying on his shoulder and he was rubbing her back in an effort to soothe her. As she cried herself out she was unaware that Jack had rejoined them and when she finally pulled away and wiped away all her tears she was able to mouth a thank you at Hotch before his three year old son asked, "All better now Miss Em'ly?"

"Yes I am," Emily answered as she smiled over at Jack, "You were right your daddy does make everything better."


End file.
